City Of Fremont: Upcoming Weather System

Fremont CA

26 January, 2021

7:07 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Fremont: January 26, 2021 The City of Fremont is monitoring a powerful storm system that is expected to move into the area this afternoon. The storm is off-shore and approaching the Bay Area. Models show it coming right over the Bay and predict it will last over the next three days.   This storm has the potential for power outages, falling trees, landslides and local flooding.  A Wind Advisory and Flash Flood Watch have been issued for the East Bay Hills (SCU Lightning Complex Fire burn scar), by the National Weather service. Public safety will periodically monitor the water levels throughout the city during the storm.  Motorists are reminded to drive carefully and cautiously through the Niles Canyon and areas susceptible to flooding.  As a safety reminder, never drive into standing water.  Turn around and proceed in the opposite direction.  It only takes approximately 1-2 feet of water to sweep a vehicle away.  City Staff has inspected problem flood areas and have cleared debris to minimize storm drain blockages. We strongly encourage residents to continue to monitor water levels and clear debris from storm drains if possible. Visit our Storm Watch webpage for ways you can stay informed and be prepared, as well as for sandbag locations, contact information and resources. General storm-related and safety messages will be communicated via the City's website, and social media accounts including Nixle, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (follow #FremontStorm and #CAStorm). Find us on social media. If you have a storm related issue such as a fallen tree or blocked storm drain, please call 510-979-5700. For a life-threatening emergency, please dial 9-1-1, and 510-790-6800 (select option 3) for a public safety non-emergency. In an effort to ensure service delivery during the storm, we'd like to ask the community to please refrain from using our tip services to report storm related issues as anonymous tips. While we will do our best to monitor tips, they are not monitored by the Fremont Police Department dispatch center and we cannot guarantee they will be answered in a timely manner.  Traffic Safety Rain is blamed for thousands of accidents each year. When the road is wet, especially after a few weeks of dry weather, the film caused by dirt, grease and oil mixes with the rain and causes asphalt to become slick. The rain eventually will wash this away, but the first few hours can be dangerous. This will be our first rain of the season and so we expect the roads to be extra slippery during the first couple of hours. Many accidents can be prevented by reducing speed and taking extra caution while driving. Wet weather driving tips: Don't text or read email while driving. Slow down, this increases your traction, since more of your tire will touch the pavement. Turn your headlights on, it is the law in California, when using your windshield wipers in rain, mist, snow or fog. Allow more travel time. Brake earlier. Don't use cruise control. Watch out for pedestrians. If it's raining so hard that you can't see the road in front of you, pull over and wait it out. Keep a safe distance to the vehicles in front of you. Defog your windows. If you start to hydroplane, don't brake suddenly, or turn the wheel. Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until you regain traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal. Stay on top of your vehicle's maintenance.- Make sure your tires have good traction and the pressure is checked. Check your headlights, tail lights, brake lights and signal lights to make sure they are all working. Make sure your wipers are in good condition and functioning properly. Keep an emergency kit in your car. Additional Safety Tips If you live on or near a burn scar, have a "Go Bag" ready in case you need to quickly evacuate. (Remember face coverings, medicines, copies of house insurance & other important documents. Have plans for your pets.) Have supplies at home in case you experience a power outage or in case you live in an area where landslides or downed trees could block road access for you to get supplies. Never touch downed wires. Assume any downed power line is energized and extremely dangerous. Call 9-1-1 and PG&E at 1-800-743-5002 Use flashlights, not candles. Due to the risk of a fire during a power outage, use battery operated flashlights and/or battery-operated candles. This press release was produced by the City of Fremont. The views expressed here are the author's own.